Turn Up the Music!

Overview:

In the webisode “Daring Young Man,” Noah, Coco, and Pequeño venture to the circus. When Noah goes to buy Coco popcorn, he gets lost and ends up part of the show! In the course of the webisode and related games viewers have the opportunity to learn the Spanish words for musical instruments and numbers. In this activity, your child will practice Spanish vocabulary through a game and a craft activity.

Before beginning, ask your child to decorate the canister with construction paper, crayons, and craft supplies.

Place the cover on the canister. Use a pen to make a hole in the center of the cover and in the center of the bottom of the box. Through these holes, pull a piece of yarn long enough to hang around child's shoulder.

Before beginning, ask your child to decorate the box with construction paper, crayons, and craft supplies.

Stretch the rubber bands around the box. Using tape, attach the ruler or stick to the back of the box on one end to act as the arm of the guitar.

Your child can play the guitar by strumming or plucking the rubber bands.

Rainy Day Tip: Play the music on your CD or on PBS’s Latin Music USA website. Listen to the music with your child and challenge him/her to identify the sounds of the musical instruments using their Spanish names.

Number Puzzle/Número de rompecabezas?
Procedure:

Ask your child to color his/her puzzle sheet. Next, assist your child in cutting the puzzle pieces out. (Try to encourage your child to cut on the lines). Mix up the pieces and ask your child to assemble the puzzle. Now your child can review the Spanish words for numbers each time he/she assembles the puzzle.

Tip: This activity makes the perfect travel game. Simply store the puzzle pieces in a Ziploc bag and you now have a puzzle anywhere you go!

Take It Further:

Look for local Latin music performances and concerts that your family can attend. Check event listings at your local museum, college, or community center.

Encourage your child to count in English and Spanish. You can count steps upstairs, socks in the laundry, dimes in a dollar, or hotdogs at the party. Research other items that come in groups of ten with your child and count away!“

Go to the library with your child and check out books to learn more about musical instruments and numbers. Suggested books, available in both English and Spanish, include: